Catching the Pathways
by CrimsonSympathy
Summary: *Sequel to 'The Return'.* Several years after the birth of their son, the Underground has become a dangerous place. Sarah and Jareth have done their best to shield their kingdom and Sarah's mortal family from harm, but their plans fail as Toby and his twin cousins are pulled into the Underground. What follows will test the bonds of love and family to its limit. Rated M.
1. Landslide

****** !WARNING!** **!WARNING!** **!WARNING!** **!WARNING!** **!WARNING!** **!WARNING!** **!WARNING! ******

 **This is A SEQUEL to ' _The Return_ '.** If you have not read ' _The Return_ ', I'd highly recommend you do that before you proceed with ' _Catching the Pathways_ '. **If you're confused by what's going on, it's your own fault from here on out.**

 ****** !WARNING!** **!WARNING!** **!WARNING!** **!WARNING!** **!WARNING!** **!WARNING!** **!WARNING! ******

Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth or any of its characters. I do not profit from this story in any way.

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 **Chapter One**

 **'Landslide'**

A packed ball of snow and ice hit Toby square in the face. Spluttering, he wiped the mess from his stinging eyes and glared at his cousins. "Hey! No hitting the referee!"

Taylor and Vanessa snickered and ran off, weaving in and out between the trees and shrieking like wild animals.

Toby stomped his feet and shook his head, brushing the rest of the snow off his skin and spitting to the side. He glanced over his shoulder at the house. Inside, he could hear the chink of glasses and the laughter of the adults as they caught up over drinks and what his mother called _petit fours_.

He scoffed and stamped around the patio again, pacing to keep the cold from seeping through the downy jacket and snow boots. His mom had ordered him out here to keep an eye on his cousins while they played off some of the energy from the long car ride. He hated it.

Taylor and Vanessa were twins, ten years old, and the five years between them and him may as well have been fifty for all that they had in common.

Toby's eyes went up to the darkened attic window.

 _I should be up there, not down here babysitting_ , he thought, chewing the inside of his cheek.

He had been searching now for weeks, after school when his parents weren't home to question his activities. His mother had caught him at it once and given him a lecture that lasted a good twenty minutes.

"You need to respect your sister's privacy," she had said that day, wagging a stiff finger at him. "She may not be around as much, but she's as much a part of this family as she ever was. She asked us to hang on to some things for her. That does _not_ mean that we can snoop through her belongings."

Toby had managed, through repeating the same story over and over, to convince her that he had _accidentally_ opened the box with Sarah's books in it. He had insisted that he was looking for his old comic books to sell on the popular auction site, eBay. After a while, Judith had calmed down.

Unfortunately, through his lie, Toby had been forced to follow up and actually sell some of the comic books that he'd rather keep.

 _It's a small price to pay_ , he reminded himself, blowing hot air into his gloved hands. _If she doesn't suspect anything, I can keep looking for the book._

And the book, he knew, was at the heart of it all. Sarah had read it to him a number of times when he was growing up and she was still living in the house. He remembered the story. Most of all he remembered the description of the cruel Goblin King. A description that matched her new husband almost _too_ well.

 _He might be all charms and smiles now, but sometimes…_ sometimes, he looked at Toby as though he were assessing a particularly valuable object.

And sometimes, if Toby were being completely honest, Sarah looked at him the same way.

Another chorus of screeching cries turned his attention back to the yard, but it was only Taylor kicking snow on a downed Vanessa. She retaliated a moment later with a few well-placed snowballs and they were back at it again, chasing each other through the drifts and around the trees.

 _And what had happened to Sarah?_ Toby thought.

His parents may not see it, may be blinded by the fact that she was married now and had a son, a grandchild to dote on, but _Toby_ wasn't fooled. There was something different about his sister. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. It made him feel uneasy every time she and her husband _Jared_ came to visit.

"Jared," he muttered aloud. "Like Jareth from the story."

Just another coincidence he couldn't quite ignore.

###

The scrying pool showed a watery, upside-down impression of the fair-haired brother of the Goblin Queen. "The boy is suspicious."

A hooded figure shifted, and the sound of scales sliding against fabric made the air seem alive with an alien music. The seer tightened her grip on the bowl of clear water and waited, her eyes focused on the image within.

"Yes," the hooded figure hissed. "It is nearly time."

The seer licked dry, cracked lips. The only water available was not to drink. To drink it would be death. "He might need a push."

The hooded figure chuckled, and the cavern filled with the sound. Bare branches scratching along a pane of glass. Cruel talons run over a sheet of steel. The seer felt the hair down her spine stand on edge.

"It is already in motion. Watch, now, and tell me all of what you see." The last word was breathed out like the wind through a chink in the door.

The seer shuddered and skimmed her thumb along the surface of the pool. The image wavered and shifted outward to encompass the other two mortals playing in the snow. The seer's lips moved, recounting each movement and words of the mortals as they unfolded. Her companion remained silent, but the seer could feel the energy building in the air. Tendrils of magic seeped through the thin spot between the worlds toward the Goblin Queen's adopted kin.

###

"What was that?"

Jareth looked up from the report. His wife, radiant as always, stood between his desk and the door to the study. The sickle-shaped pendant gleamed at her throat where she wore it on the short chain, and her head was tilted a little to one side, her gaze out toward one of the many windows that opened upon a view of the goblin city.

Jareth glanced between the window and Sarah. He set the parchment down, "What's wrong, Sarah?"

She reached up, stroking fingers down the gold and silver medallion. "Something," she murmured. "Something bad is happening."

The Goblin King rose, unfolding his long legs to stride over to his Queen. He ran a hand down her arm to her elbow, but even still she did not look at him. His eyes searched her face. She had a certain, far-away expression, as though she were listening to music only she could hear. He reached through their bond, but he could not sense what disturbed her.

He could feel that she was disturbed, yes, and not a little bit frightened, but other than her own unease he could feel nothing else. No stir of magic. No sense of malice.

"Sarah," he said, pitching his voice low to grab her attention. "Talk to me, my love."

She turned her head toward him, and then her eyes. Her gaze dragged over to him as her face paled. When their matching eyes locked, he saw that tears were beginning to gather in those shining orbs. "Jareth," she whispered. "Someone is attacking my family."

###

Something hit the back of his head with a dull _thwack._ Cursing under his breath—just in case his mother could hear through the back doors—Toby whirled, his lips pulled back to snarl at the twin menace.

Whatever words he was going to speak died as he saw that they were far on the other end of the back yard, stalking one another around the tree trunks.

Frowning, he looked around. And then he spotted it.

The book was the same red cover with black vines he remembered seeing in Sarah's hands all those years ago. Bending, he scooped it out of the snow and brushed it off. He looked up, confused. He was too far away from the house for it to have fallen through a window, and all the windows were shut against the cold anyway.

A group of ravens perched on some of the tree branches above his head. As he looked up, some of them looked down, fixing him with their small black eyes. One, with a band of light gray around its throat, spread its massive wings and _cawed_ in a loud, croaking scream.

"Shoo," Toby called back at it, brandishing the book overhead like a weapon. "Scram!"

The raven seemed to glare at him, hopping from one foot to another, but remained on its perch. The others around it ruffled their feathers. One flew from its original branch to a lower one, surveying a patch of bushes against the fence. Toby wondered if it was looking for mice.

 _No, not a mouse. Raven's don't eat mice, you idiot._

What did they eat? He couldn't remember.

But thoughts of the birds fell away when he looked back down at the book clasped in his hands. Wonder on how it had fallen on his head, on _why_ it was out in the yard with him, flew out of his head.

Ripping off his gloves so he could easily thumb through the pages, Toby opened the book at random. His eyes flew over the words, and his fingers worked the pages back and forth, trying to find what he was looking for.

Finally he did. Near the beginning. The first description of Jareth the Goblin King.

"He had eyes of two different shades, and long, white blond hair," he read aloud, lips numb from the cold. The sound of his cousins faded away. "Tall and lean, he wore armor of leather and a long, ragged cloak." That didn't sound like Sarah's husband Jared, at least not in how he was dressed. Jared always wore suits, or turtleneck sweaters and slacks, but never armor, and never cloaks. Still, there was something about it that smacked of the familiar…

"I have brought you a gift," Toby murmured some time later. He frowned and flipped back a few pages.

Another snowball sailed past his ear and Toby almost slammed the book down in his frustration. "What did I tell you?" He called to his cousins. Then, without thinking—without even _realizing_ —he shouted, "I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now!"

###

Jareth felt the pull just as Sarah did. Her eyes widened and she clutched at his arm. "It's Toby," she hissed. "I know it's Toby. Jareth, please, someone is doing this. We can't!"

Jareth pressed his palms to the side of Sarah's face and leaned his forehead against hers. "We can't ignore a summoning, my love. We took a vow."

" _You_ took the stupid vow," Sarah said. "I just married you."

He smiled sadly but felt his armor come to his call, flowing across his skin to encase every inch of him but his head. Even as the leather wrapped around his fingers, he missed the feel of her skin beneath him. "Sarah," he murmured. "I must go, and you must come with me."

She shook her head, "I can't. You know I can't."

"Take your owl form," he said. "But you must. You know that this is how it is done."

She glared at him for a moment and then sighed. She pressed her lips briefly against his, the lightest of paper kisses, and then she was in her avian form, wings flapping until he held out his arm for her to perch on. She glared at him again with amber-colored eyes. Jareth swallowed the impulse to stroke a hand down her feathered back. He could still feel her distress and, now, anger. He had the feeling he'd get an up close and personal look at her talons if he tried to touch her.

Closing his eyes, he followed the summoning to the mortal world.

###

Toby crouched behind the covered patio furniture. He could still hear the scuttling and high-pitched chuckles of the creatures hidden just out of sight. His heart pounded in his chest as the wind picked up again, howling as it ripped through the bare branches of the trees and kicked up spiraling columns of glittering snow.

Inside, the sound of the adults had faded away to nothing. Glancing through the window, he had seen the arm of his mother frozen in a toast, wine glass in hand. The smile on her face, the half-lidded slant of her eyes, never moved. She gazed unseeing at the other adults around the table, just as they looked to her.

Toby did not know what, exactly, was happening, but he had a sinking feeling he was about to find out.

The wind let out another terrible, harsh screech and then fell silent.

Toby blinked against the sting in his eyes and then rose. Immediately, something flew at his face, its form white and massive. He ducked, but not before he felt a scratch of talons on his scalp. And there, standing before him in the yard, ankle deep in snow but looking completely unaffected by it, was Sarah's husband.

Only he didn't look _exactly_ like Jared. His eyes were mismatched, he wore dark leather armor, and a long ragged cape. He raised an arm and a snowy owl came to perch there. It shrieked at Toby when it saw him, and beat its wings, its eyes narrowed.

Toby took a step forward, even though a part of him wanted to run back into the warm house and slam the door behind him. "Who are you?" He said, trying to sound braver than he felt. "Do I call you the Goblin King or Jared?"

The man gave a little half-smile, "I think the time for deception between us has passed, Toby," he said. "You have called upon the goblins, and we came to answer that call."

Toby frowned. "You admit it then?" His voice cracked halfway through and he swallowed hard against the pounding of his heart. "You're not really a man, are you?"

"I am very much a man," the Goblin King answered. "I admit that freely."

Toby took another step forward, "Where's my sister?"

The owl screeched again and swayed from side to side, its wickedly curved talons digging deep into the leather of Jareth's arm. He smiled again, "Your sister is safe, and happy, more or less. She was distressed to hear your summoning."

Toby paused, his mouth open to let fly another accusation, and then his frown deepened. "What summoning? What are you talking about?"

The Goblin King gestured behind him at a yard which, Toby realized, was empty of the shrieking, yelling mess of the young cousins. "You wished the goblins to take away the children under your care. You summoned us here to fulfill that call, and we have."

"No," Toby said, glancing back at the house and the frozen tableau of adults inside. "No, they're going to kill me. What—I didn't mean to do that."

Jareth sighed and ran a hand down the back of the owl. Its feathers ruffled and it snapped its beak at him. He withdrew his hand. "Toby, you have one chance to retrieve your cousins… if that is what you wish to do."

Toby nodded, "Yes. I'll do anything. Please, I need to get them back. But—" he narrowed his eyes. "You and I aren't done. I want my sister back, too. Now that I know who you are, I know you're keeping her hostage in your castle."

"Am I?" The Goblin King said, smiling though his eyes glittered like chips of ice. "How interesting."

Toby started to say something, but Jareth half-turned, and he noticed that they were no longer standing in the snow-swept yard. The house and patio furnishings had disappeared. The Goblin King gestured at an expanse of twisting walls and corridors before them that stretched from horizon to horizon.

"This is my Labyrinth," he said. "You have thirteen hours to find your way to the castle at its heart, or your cousins will become one of us, forever."

The owl shrieked again and beat its wings. Toby jumped back from it and felt sand grind beneath his boots. "Jesus," he said. "You need to get a new pet. That thing is wild."

He let out an amused sound. "Wild? Yes. But she's angry with you," The Goblin King said mildly, and then went on as before. "Do you understand the terms, Toby? Thirteen hours."

He nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I get you. It's just a maze. It doesn't look too hard."

"It's harder than it looks, and time is short." He paused, "Your sister is the only one to have beaten it."

Toby glanced up sharply. "Sarah? Sarah ran the Labyrinth?"

The Goblin King nodded, "To retrieve you."

Toby swallowed hard. That was something Sarah had never told him as she read the story to him all those years ago. _Why would she wish me away?_

But, then again, he hadn't _meant_ to wish away his cousins. He didn't like Taylor and Vanessa, but they didn't deserve to be taken away from their parents. _They must be so scared._

Toby squared his shoulders. "Okay. I'll beat your maze. You'll see; we Williams' are strong. If my sister could do it, then so can I."

The Goblin King gave the slightest bow, "As you say. Go now," he summoned a clock, showing that they were already five minutes into the thirteen hours. "We will speak soon."

The King disappeared, his owl with him, and Toby was suddenly on his own on the wind-swept rise that showed the Labyrinth and its castle stretched out before him.

He puffed out his cheeks and then sighed.

 _As Sarah would have said_ … "Alright. Come on, feet."

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 **A/N:** Hello again my lovelies!

Well, I do not promise to update this with the frequency of 'The Return'. I'm mainly going to write in this story when I'm feeling a block in other areas.

I do have a general idea for where this is going, but I'm a pantser (seat of, etc.) writer by nature, so I think we'll have to uncover this together.

As always, I would love your reviews. This is just the first chapter so I'm hoping to set up the feel for things. No idea when the second chapter will be coming out as I'm midway through a whole other novel at the moment.

(by the way I'm 'successfully' self-published now, you can contact me for information on those stories if you're interested)

I hope you enjoy and may the goblins be with you.

Love you lovelies.

~CS

P.S. – I wrote this A/N two days ago when I started the chapter.

Since then, as I'm sure you are all aware, there came the terrible news of David Bowie's passing. Words cannot express how sad I am at this event, though in a way I'm also happy.

Mr. Bowie left quite a legacy, and touched the hearts and minds of millions before his death. There are few people who can claim such a thing when they cross from this world into the next.

I feel thankful that I was allowed to occupy the same time and place as such a great man. As much as I love his music, this fandom is the thing which brings him the most to mind for me. I know he will be missed by each and every one of us.

So this story is dedicated, in part, to the memory of one of the greatest artists of our time.

Rest in peace, David Bowie. We love you.


	2. Confessions

**A/N:** Main author's note below. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth or any of its characters. I do not profit from this story in any way.

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 **Chapter Two**

 **'Confessions'**

Jareth paused outside the entrance to the kitchens. One of the goblins from the little band he and Sarah had rescued three years ago crouched near the doorway, a colander held fast over his head.

"Azra?" Jareth asked, peering down at the trembling goblin. "What's the matter?"

He looked up at his king, gold eyes glinting. "Yer Majesty," he croaked. "Her grace is…" he swallowed. "I's never seen her like this."

Jareth lifted his gaze to the closed door. He heard some muffled cursing and then a soft crash. Azra flinched at the sound and Jareth had to swallow a smile. "It'll be alright, Azra. Why don't you… go catch a chicken, hm?"

Azra didn't need another excuse. He bolted, holding his makeshift helmet down with both hands. Jareth watched him go, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.

A half-peeled carrot soared passed his ear. Jareth raised an eyebrow and followed the trajectory back to his wife. She was breathing heavy, her eyes wide and wild as she slammed down a metal mixing bowl, a puff of flour coming off of it to coat the front of her dark tunic.

"Sarah, my love," Jareth called, stepping further into the room. "We should talk."

Sarah glanced up and her eyes narrowed, "I don't want to talk to you," she spat. "And I don't want to see you. Go away."

He ignored her and crossed to her side, reaching out to cup one elbow. She tried to jerk her arm out of his touch but he curled his fingers around her, preventing the motion. She looked up at him, her blue and green eyes blazing with barely suppressed fury. "Love," Jareth said gently. "It'll be alright. I've already spoken to the Labyrinth. It will make Toby's run as smooth as we can while still following the rules."

She wiped at her eyes with the back of her free hand and scowled, "I hate all these damn rules. Our enemies…" she paused and took a deep breath, glancing around the kitchen. Finding it empty, she continued in a softer voice, "They know we have to follow the rules, and they're exploiting it."

"Yes," Jareth said simply. "But we still hold greater numbers, and they no longer have the element of surprise."

Sarah slipped her arm out of his grasp and scrubbed at her face with her hands. When she looked at him again, her eyes shined with unshed tears. "I miss our son."

Jareth pulled her into an embrace and she sank against him, nuzzling her head against his chest in the way that she often did. She fit perfectly, as though she had always been made for him. And, he supposed, she was. They were two pieces of an age-old prophecy, after all.

"Love," he murmured, running a hand through her silken hair. "Do you want to visit him? I will watch over Toby while you're away."

She shook her head and sighed, "No. I need to be here." She pulled back a little so that she could look up at him again. "How often am I allowed to speak to him while he runs the Labyrinth?"

"A handful of times, no more, and you're not allowed to show him the way." Jareth leaned down and laid a gentle kiss on her lips. "He's passed the first trial. He's found his way into the heart of the Labyrinth."

She gave a small smile, "Good. How long does he have?"

"A little over eleven hours. He's quick."

She nodded, "He was always too clever for his own good." She let out a dry laugh, "We used to have a hell of a time keeping him in his crib. He was always escaping, getting into my room…" she trailed off, her gaze distant. She grasped Jareth's hand and laid a kiss on his upturned palm. "I thought my family would be safe," she whispered. "I thought that the Unseelie would be unable to touch them in the Aboveground. I thought—" she shook her head violently. "Damn it. I was an idiot to think that, wasn't I?"

"No," Jareth said as gently as he could. "But they found the book, and the book is the key to the Underground. They knew that your brother was searching for it." He let out a low chuckle, "He thinks I'm keeping you here against your will."

She nodded, "I know. I heard, remember?"

"Ah, yes," he smiled and ran a hand along her cheek and down the side of her neck. "Your owl form was quite annoyed with him."

She gave an unladylike snort, "Oh, yeah. I could barely restrain myself from flying at him."

"You did."

"That was nothing compared to what I wanted to do." Sarah pulled away, trailing a hand down his chest as she did so. He shivered and she smiled at him, gazing up under her dark lashes. "How are my cousins?"

"They're settling in fine. We keep the older ones in one of the private rooms. Otherwise, the goblins tend to frighten them."

"More frightening to a pair of ten-year-olds than that five-year-old from last month?" She raised her eyebrows. "I find that hard to believe."

"Five-year-olds are still heavily steeped in realms of unreality," Jareth said. "They find the fantastic more easily digestible."

"Hm," Sarah said, her face a mask of distraction. "I should visit them, shouldn't I?"

"It might do them some good. If Toby fails—" at her sharp look he hastened to continue, "Only if he fails, my love. But if he does, your cousins will adapt better to life with Titania if they have had time to speak to you, I am sure. If not, they won't remember any of this, but in the meantime, I think they would find you comforting."

She sighed and gave the mixing bowl a half-hearted whisk. "I'm going to finish making the pastries and then go up to them." She glanced around the kitchen again, "Where the hell do they keep the milk?"

"In the cellar, I suppose," Jareth said with a shrug. "I can call Azra back if you would like some assistance."

Sarah shook her head, "No, thank you. I don't think Azra wants much to do with me right now, anyway. I threw a colander at him."

"Ah," Jareth said with a smile. "I had wondered."

"He gets underfoot," Sarah grumbled. She unstoppered a clay jug and sniffed, "Here we are." She looked up at Jareth and smiled, "Are you certain a refrigerator won't work in the Underground?"

"I'm not building one of those stinking coal factories."

"I know," she said, a slight smile curving her lips. "I just miss it, sometimes. And I still can't believe that none of you have developed food poisoning."

"Goblins are a hearty breed." And so are we, my love. "Plus, we have magic."

Sarah flicked a few fingers at him and he stepped back, avoiding a spatter of flour to his front. "Go on," she said. "I'm going to finish up here and then we should go speak to my brother."

"Together?"

Sarah shrugged and glanced at him, her gaze lingering for a moment on his flyaway hair and flamboyant clothes. "Maybe you could hang back a little, but yes, I'd like to go together. I may need you afterward."

Jareth stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, "I should think," he murmured. "That you need me all the time."

She turned in his arms and rose up on tiptoes, planting a soft, warm kiss on his lips. When he moved to deepen it, she pulled away with a knowing smile. "I do need you all the time," she whispered, her breath fanning out to caress his face. "But unless you're volunteering to peel the vegetables—"

He brushed his lips across her forehead, "I'll leave you to it, my love. Come to me when you're ready."

###

Toby brushed a lock of sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes. He was in a vast meadow now, with few distinguishing markers aside from some low, scraggly bushes. Every once in a while, something that seemed akin to a cicada though longer than his outstretched hand would launch itself from the ground with a whistling shriek. The first time it had happened, he had broken into a run, but he had since discovered that they were harmless.

 _At least, they seem to be_ , he thought. _Maybe they're just waiting for me to let my guard down._

So far, nothing had attacked him outright, but those feathery bastards from the forest had given him a good scare and chased him for what felt like miles.

He crouched down in the tall grass and ran a hand through his hair. The sun was hot on the back of his neck, but the grass smelled sweet and the flowers were pretty enough, he supposed.

"Toby," called a familiar voice.

He looked up, and his breath caught. For a moment, he felt a renewed desire to run. It was his sister, alright, but she looked different. It wasn't just her clothes, which looked like something out of a Renaissance Faire, but her stance, her skin and, most of all, her eyes. One was the same green she had always had, but the other was a bright, penetrating blue. Like a wolf eye. Or like him.

He swept his foot back a little, and the muscles in his legs tensed. "Sarah?"

"Yeah, dummy," she said, her eyes rolling up to the sky. When her gaze caught him again, she scowled, crossing her arms over her stomach. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Toby blinked and stood. He was of a height with her these days. "What are you talking about? And what's wrong with your eyes? They're freaking me out."

Sarah rolled her eyes again and stalked toward him. He felt something, then, something that scared him. He took a few steps back. Sarah stopped once she saw his reaction and a hurt expression flickered over her face. "Jesus, Toby, calm down." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "You remember the book?"

"Yeah," he said hesitantly. "I was looking for it."

"Well, that was stupid," she said. "You should have left it alone, Toby."

He felt a hot flash of anger and took a hard step forward, "Shut up," he snapped. "What did you think would happen? You freaking disappear for days and then show up with this guy who, I'm sorry, doesn't lie worth shit. You're always off traveling, and he's—he's what, Sarah? The fucking Goblin King?"

"Watch your language," Sarah said, though her tone sounded more tired than commanding. She sighed and motioned behind him, "Take a seat. We have a few things to talk about before you get back to your run."

Toby opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about—there's nothing to sit on out here, it's flat as hell—but then he glanced back. He saw, to his amazement, that there were two wooden chairs, a small circular table, and a tray atop it with a jug of ice water and two glasses. Licking dry lips, he practically lunged for the display, pouring a glass of water and downing it in several long, hard gulps before pouring another.

"You're going to give yourself a cramp," Sarah grumbled as she sat in one of the chairs. "Slow down."

Toby gasped and sank into the chair. Another one of those creepy cicada-things launched itself out of the ground near his feet and he flinched back.

Sarah laughed, "Don't worry, they're harmless. They actually eat pests, so we like them."

"What are they?"

Her nose wrinkled, "I can't remember the exact word. Sounds like 'Lily,' I think." She shrugged, "There are a lot of things to learn living in the Underground. I haven't paid much attention to the insect species as of yet." She waved her hand to encompass their surroundings, "For the most part, the things that live here are much like in the Aboveground, but there are some unique creatures."

"The eye stalks?" Toby asked in a hushed voice, "Those things freaked me out."

"They're harmless. A fungus, really, though they tend to help the mortar more than hinder it," she said, leaning back in her chair and lacing her fingers together on her lap. Her long daggered sleeves trailed in the grass at her movement, and one of the insects began to crawl up the fabric. She glanced down at it, made a small motion with her pointer finger, and it flew away.

Toby took another long drink of water, watched by his sister the entire time.

She sighed and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. "I, well, you don't have the time for me to go into all the details, but I'll give you the rundown. A., you're an idiot for going after that book. B., it appears that the memory spell Jareth and I cast didn't take on you. Perhaps it's because you've been here before, or because you're still underage. Why it happened doesn't matter now, because you're here and you have to finish the run to get Vanessa and Taylor back."

"But why?" Toby asked, "If you're married to the freak, can't you get him to let them go?" His eyes narrowed, "You are married to him, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm married to the freak, thank you very much," Sarah snapped. "And quite happily so. If you're under the impression that I'm here against my will, you're dead wrong, baby bro."

Toby scowled, "You mentioned spells. What if he put you under one, huh? What if he's making you stay here?"

Sarah stood, smoothing down her blouse and turning from Toby to look out over the vast plain. "I'm not under a spell, Toby," she whispered. She turned back to him, "Look, I promise that I'll explain everything once your run is done." She glanced up at the sky, and Toby followed her gaze. There, suspended some ten feet above them in mid-air, hung an ornate golden clock.

"You have ten hours left," she said. "Toby, I can't release our cousins. There are rules here. Ancient ones, older even than human civilization. As I'm reigning monarch, I can't—"

"Wait, what?" Toby blurted. "You're a queen?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Yes. I'm married to the king. Our son is a prince." She sighed and ran a hand over her face, "Jesus, you don't have time for all this, Toby. I'm sorry I distracted you, but I just wanted you to know that everything is… well, everything's not okay, but don't think you have to rescue me, okay? That's not in the cards."

He stood and approached her, "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, voice low. "Like, tap your nose or something if you're not."

She gave him a wry smile, "No nose tapping, Toby. I love him. I've loved him for years."

He suddenly felt very small and closed the distance to pull his sister into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "It'll be okay," she whispered. "You're strong. You can do this."

"I'm scared," he whispered against her hair. "Sarah, I'm real scared."

She gave his back a couple soft pats, "I know." She pulled back, her hands on his shoulders, and took a deep breath. "Toby, I did the run myself when I was fifteen, just like you. I know exactly what you're going through, okay? More than most."

He wiped savagely at his eyes, clearing away the hint of tears. "You did this? Why?"

She blew out a puff of breath, "Well, actually, I wished you away, when you were a year old." At his widened eyes, she hastened, "I'm sorry. It was a stupid mistake. I love you, little bro."

He swallowed hard, "And that's when you met him?"

She gave a shallow nod, "Yeah, that's when I met him."

He sniffed and pulled away from her grasp, "I should get going. Thanks for the water."

"No problem," she said, and her voice sounded small, almost far away. "Toby? Be careful, okay? If… if you don't do it, Vanessa and Taylor will be well cared for, I promise."

He nodded, his throat tight. _My sister did the same thing to me_ , he thought. _Dysfunctional, your name is 'Williams family.'_

He looked up, mouth open with the intent to ask which way to go next, but Sarah was gone. Just as suddenly as she had appeared, there was no sign of her. He turned in a circle, eyes frantic, but she and the furniture had disappeared.

Sighing, he kicked at the grassy earth and began walking again. Now that he knew the insects weren't dangerous, he didn't flinch each time one of them took off, but the place was still eerie.

His mind buzzed with all the unanswered questions. _What was she talking about with Aboveground and Underground? Was she really a queen? Did she have a coronation? Why did her eyes look like that here, but they look normal when she's home? And why did she wish me away when I was one?_

With some difficulty, he pushed the thoughts aside and tried to clear his mind.

 _I have a job to do_ , he thought, _and only ten hours to do it in_.

###

Sarah watched Toby return to the trail, her heart heavy in her chest. Jareth tightened his grip on her shoulders and she leaned against him, comforted by his solid presence. "That was harder than I thought it'd be," she whispered.

"It often is," he said just as soft.

They stood behind the veil, unseen and unheard by her brother as he continued his run. He looked a little better now with a moments rest, a familiar face, and some water, but there was a strain on his face and a tension to his shoulders she had never seen before. He had his heavy winter coat tied around his waist, and his sleeves were rolled up to the elbows.

She wished she had been able to offer him more. To give him a change of clothes, a good meal, and a long conversation in which she could explain everything. But there were rules to be observed, and as Jareth's bonded pair she had to respect his oaths.

More than that, she had felt almost compelled not to talk on certain subjects. She had been very careful not to indicate which way he should travel, which wasn't too difficult as he was currently headed in the right direction, but she had also wanted to offer him advice. Every time she had tried to form the words, it felt like a lump lodged in her throat or her tongue froze to the roof of her mouth, preventing her.

 _Damned rules_ , she thought savagely, _I was the only one to ever complete the Labyrinth, and I ended up being Fae. How can he stand a chance?_

She voiced those thoughts aloud and Jareth's hand moved down her back, stroking it in smooth, soothing motions. "I've never tried to make it easy for them before," he said, brushing his lips against her cheek. "And he's a smart boy. I'm sure he'll make it."

Sarah let out a dry laugh, "Maybe it'll become a Williams family tradition."

"Let's hope not." He pulled away from her a little as Toby's form disappeared along the horizon. He stepped in front of her, and she lifted her gaze to his. He cupped her cheeks with both hands. "My love," he murmured. "It will be okay."

She rose up on tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull his body closer. She nibbled his lip a little before she pulled away, and her voice was a bit breathless though there was still an edge of tension to it that had never been there before. "Is there anything else we can do?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid that, unless he finds allies as you did, Toby is on his own."

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 **A/N:** Thank you to MyraVallhala and JatredGirl for your reviews. It was nice to 'see' you both again :)

Myra, I did call Toby's mother 'Judith' in "The Return" and in "Perfect" before it. I don't know why, exactly, but she always struck me as a Judith.

I'm still setting up for the main plot line and discovering what's been happening in the Underground since the end of "The Return". I have about 80% of this figured out by now. Lots of daydreaming. But I am working on other stuff, so I think you all can expect a chapter every two weeks. Hopefully. Feel free to message me if I drop off the face of the earth. Sometimes a good pants-kick will spur me back into action.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and, as always, please **review** so that I can give you a shout out. Reviews make me smile and inspire me to write more :)


	3. Just Out of Reach

**A/N:** Thank you all for your patience. My original story/stories are kicking my butt. I figured it was about time I took a break to write some Jareth/Sarah lovin'. I apologize for any glaring typos or grammatical errors. Edits get done over time. Ya'll are getting the rough draft.

Main author's note below. Enjoy!

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 **Chapter Three**

 **'Just Out of Reach'**

The cavern held a dim orange luminescence that seemed to coat the skin in an oily texture. The seer itched to rub her hands over her arms to dispel the sensation, but she could not take her trembling hands from the scrying pool. To do that—to do so many things in the last few, hellish hours ( _or has it been days?_ )—would be to seal her fate.

The hooded figure paced around the stone plinth. The cloak that the creature wore occasionally whipped against the seers skin, setting her teeth on edge and increasing the spasms that wracked her body.

"What now?" The voice hissed out. "Tell me. Does the queen suffer?"

The seer licked her lips, feeling the dry, cracked skin and tasting the copper and salt of blood. Her throat felt like sandpaper and her voice rasped. She felt as though she had been talking for years. "The queen is concerned, frightened, and wary."

"Does she _suffer_?" The hooded figure asked again, the tone sharp as needles.

The seer bent over the pool, ignoring the ache in her neck, and gazed down at the vision the water showed her. The woman within, standing in a castle suite, seemed strong despite the two small humans who cornered her with questions she could barely answer. The remains of a meal—pastries filled with vegetables and a thick, creamy sauce that made the seers mouth water—was spread on a table near where they spoke. Distantly, as though in a dream, the seer could hear the voices from within.

 _"You must stay within these walls. You don't know the dangers that lay without."_

 _"But we want to_ explore _. It's boring in here. There's no television, no video games, and no snow to play in. We wanted to play in the snow."_

 _"You're going to have to be patient, Taylor. There are books to read, and aren't you tired? You could always have a rest, and I'll be here when you awake."_

 _"I don't want to—"_

The seer pulled her mind away. The woman, the queen of the goblins, was frustrated. Scared. Angry.

"She does not suffer, my liege," the seer said. "Not yet."

The figure snarled and flung out an arm, close enough that talons scraped against the side of the bowl, causing ripples to form in the cool water.

For an instant, the seer caught a glimpse of another scene. Blackened stone walls, fire whipping into the sky to lick at the stars. Screaming faces streaked with blood. Pain.

This pain shot through her as though it were her own and a low, pained moan escaped her lips.

"Soon enough," said the voice from beneath the shadowed hood. "Soon enough, she will suffer as I have suffered. As we have all suffered. Tell me more, farseer. Tell me all."

Ignoring the sob that threatened to choke her, and the tears which burned her eyes, the seer bent once more to her task.

###

Sarah shut the door on her cousins' chamber and slumped against it. The high-pitched shrieks of the prepubescent twins could be heard even through the thick oaken door as they terrorized the few brave goblins who had volunteered to entertain them.

"Trouble, love?"

She looked up and awarded Jareth a brief smile. "I think that if there were just one of them, it wouldn't be so bad. But together? They're an unholy terror."

Sarah went to him. He draped an arm over her shoulder to pull her close. She leaned against him and let out a long, sighing breath. He chucked her under the chin with his knuckles and she looked up at him, smiling despite the tight weariness in her eyes.

"My love," he said. "You must not give up hope."

She glanced down and then up again. "He barely has three hours left," she murmured. "And he's not even close to the gates."

"Neither were you, at the time. You were caught in my ballroom, weren't you?"

Pulling away from him, Sarah began to walk back down the stone halls toward their private chambers. Jareth followed a pace behind, reaching through the bond to try and soothe her troubled soul. She resisted his efforts, holding tight to her agitation like it was a shield. He pulled away and hoped that his physical presence would be enough to bolster her spirits.

"It was so different when I ran the Labyrinth," she mused aloud. "You and I? We were drawn to each other. And the prophecy… there were other forces at work. The Labyrinth wanted me here. Toby is an _interloper_."

Jareth winced at her words. He had used them before to describe the runners that had failed during their joined reign. At the time, she had joked and laughed along with him, but now? It was different now.

Toby might not be her blood kin as Sarah had once believed, but he was still her family, her brother. She held tight to the memory of him when they were apart, and spent hours talking and laughing with him when they were together.

But he was mortal, and mortals were at a disadvantage in the realm of the Fae.

Sarah pushed open the door to their suite and crossed to the windows overlooking the city. She brought her hands up before her face, spaced apart, and squinted her eyes. Jareth stood at her shoulder and watched as she bent the light to bring Toby into focus.

This was not an ability she had gained through her station as the Goblin Queen. It was entirely of Titania's line, and not one that Sarah would show in front of others.

 _My clever girl,_ he thought wryly, _it didn't take you long to put two and two together._

Each time the Labyrinth hosted a runner, it changed the landscape of the Goblin Kingdom. Gone, for now, were the wide expanse of rivers and lakes, the neat farms and tiny villages and the hazy, distant ring of the Labyrinth's walls. Instead, the city was closed, buttoned down against the intruder and his persistence. The waste piles, typically far away and under order, were scattered for many leagues in every direction around the city gates.

Toby struggled through it, tripping over broken furniture and crockery. He had lost his heavy winter coat somewhere along the way, but the boots were cumbersome and created difficulties as he slipped and stumbled over the heaps of rubbish. As they watched, he fell on one knee and winced.

Sarah made a pained sound as he rose, a gash in the leg of his jeans and blood staining the fingers he pressed to the wound.

"God damn it, Jareth," she hissed. "I have to help him."

"He's in no real danger, my love. The Labyrinth is testing him." _And you cannot help him. Even if you tried, the Labyrinth would not let you._

He cursed inwardly when he saw Toby's eyes glisten, but a moment later Sarah's shoulders straightened and she took a deep breath. Toby wiped at his face before any tears could fall and, with a determined expression, continued on. He kept his gaze locked between the treacherous ground and the castle rising before him.

Sarah's arms trembled and Jareth reached out, smoothing his hands down until he cupped her elbows, keeping her steady so that she could keep an eye on her sibling. He bent his head and pressed his lips to the crown of her hair. "Steady, love," he whispered against her. "One way or the other, this will all be over soon."

###

Toby did not know how much longer he had until the thirteen hours were up, but he knew he was getting close.

The gates to the Goblin City rose before him, finally, and for a few beats of his heart, he allowed himself to rest.

 _I did it,_ he thought, _I made it to the center._

This had been the most frightening and exhilarating experience of his life. All the things he thought that scared him before—pop quizzes, talking to the cutest girl in school Stephanie Handley, and facing the wrath of his mother—seemed like peanuts compared with this.

He had outrun the feathered creatures who could detach their bodies at will. He had nearly fallen off precipices that were thousands of feet deep to the jagged rocks below. He had solved the riddles asked by doors with no faces but the voice of giants. He had made friends with creatures that called themselves 'fidels,' things that looked like fuzzy caterpillars and had glowing dragonfly wings, which had guided him through a forest so thick and dark he had barely been able to see his hand in front of his face.

And now he was at the gates.

Toby approached, his heart hammering in his chest, and gazed up at the forty foot walls. The gates were closed to him, but he saw where the mortar and some stones had fallen away. _Are they close enough for footholds?_

Licking dry lips, he clapped his hands and rubbed them, dispelling the moisture which had gathered there. He hoisted himself onto the first gap, wiggled, and reached for the next.

It soon became apparent that his heavy boots were going to finally fail him. He looked down and, seeing the ground more than ten feet below, savagely kicked the huge things off his feet.

Free of the heavy plastic and thick fabric, he was able to wriggle his woolen-clad toes easily into the gaps. Toby made fast work of the wall and soon stood at the parapets, looking down over the city and its leaning, flimsy-looking stone and timber buildings.

Several hundred yards away from where he had made his landing, Toby found a ladder with which he could descend.

The city was eerily quiet, but even so Toby stuck to the side of the buildings and as close to the shadows as he could. A few solitary chickens were the only living creatures he could see, and as he walked feathers floated in his wake. Dust soon coated his sweat-soaked socks and he had to fight the urge to sneeze.

 _If this is where Sarah lives,_ he thought, _I'm going to shake some sense into her. There's_ no way _she would choose this over our world._

###

Sarah wet her lips. "He's here."

Jareth put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. They both turned to the clock at the same instant. The little hand was nearly at the thirteen, with the large hand only eleven minutes away. "There's time."

"Do you have to send out the guards?"

She had already asked that question, but each time she hoped that there would be a different answer. That _this_ time, Jareth would smile and say no, that he had found a loophole. They had been at it for hours, in between visits to her cousins, spying on Toby's progress, and opening up communication with Kabira to gain her assistance and resources as well.

All of it had come to nothing. The rules were simple and iron-clad. The challenger had to face a certain number of tasks, and the rulers were not allowed to aide them overmuch. The Labyrinth, sensing their agitation and their hopes for Toby's success had done its best to smooth the way. They had done everything within their power to do.

 _Not enough_ , Sarah thought, _it's not enough. He doesn't have the time._

He had eleven minutes— _less than eleven minutes now_ —to get past the palace guard, enter the castle, and find Taylor and Vanessa.

Sarah had placed them on the second floor, nearest one of the main staircases, and cracked the door so that their voices would carry through the echoing corridors. It had been her own contribution to his success, but it would all come to naught if he were delayed too much in the city.

"I have to, my love." Jareth reached out and squeezed her fingers. "It's not over yet."

Sarah took a shaky breath and nodded. "Call them out. Let's get this over with."

The bell tower in which they stood shook with the raucous call to arms. Even over the din, Sarah could hear hundreds of booted feet race down the twining staircases to rush out the castle gates toward the intruder.

 _Oh, Toby,_ she prayed, _be strong but, most of all, be clever._

###

Toby had sprinted for the fountain as soon as he had seen it. For a moment, all thought of his cousins fled and he was reduced to his base instincts. It had been _ages_ since he had quenched his thirst, and seeing the clear water splashing into the stone basin had shut off all other functions but the _need_ to drink.

Bent near in half at the waist, scooping water as fast as he could into his dry mouth, Toby jumped near out of his skin when the first call of the alarm sounded.

He knew that he had only seconds to act. Swallowing the impulse to run, Toby took several deep, gulping breaths and jumped into the fountain.

The water was deeper than he had thought it would be, and for a few seconds, he free-floated in the gloomy half-light. Getting his bearings, he pressed his back against the slick, mossy stone pillar that reached through the center of the pool and listened.

Every sound came through muffled, but he could feel the vibration of dozens of feet as goblins went rushing by. Ghostly, wavering heads passed above him, the figures hidden by the lip of the fountain.

Toby waited, trying not to count the seconds as they passed by and his lungs began to burn. He could hear distant shouts and cries, but could not make out the words. Soon enough, though his body was screaming for air, he could no longer feel the wake of the goblins' passing.

Carefully, Toby's head breached above the water line and he breathed, trying not to gasp and choke like he wanted to. He grasped the lip of the fountain and raised his head, darting his eyes around to survey the courtyard before the castle gates.

There were two goblins standing sentry with their back to him and the castle, and dozens more milling through the city, crashing into the buildings and searching them room by room. Chickens cawed and clucked their agitation, and the sound of steel plates clacking and raised voices made Toby's hair stand on end.

 _There's no fucking way Sarah is cool with this. Those guys have real weapons!_

Careful, so as not to slosh, Toby squirmed out of the water and back on solid ground. Thankful for the silence that his socked feet gave him, he moved backward, keeping the goblins in sight and only sparing a glance or two behind him to be sure of where he was going.

The gates to the city were wide open, where before they had been bound and barred with chains. Toby crept back, feeling his way up the short staircase, before one of the sentries sneezed.

" _Gesundheit_ ," the other said, turning his head to look at his partner.

Toby froze and, for a few long seconds, believed that the goblin had not seen him.

And then the warrior whirled, his spear up at the ready, and raised the alarm.

Toby did not wait to watch the soldiers zero in on his position. He spun and _bolted_ for the open doors.

###

"Clever boy," Jareth said, holding the perfect sphere aloft in his thin fingers. "He's inside."

Sarah clutched at his arm, her gaze fixed and unblinking upon the images inside the glowing crystal. "He barely has two minutes."

Jareth nodded and kept his face expressionless even as Sarah's fingers dug into his skin. He knew he had to be strong for her now. _Especially now._ "Remember what Titania promised us, my love. She will take good care of the children. They will be loved, and your brother can visit them often."

Sarah swallowed with an audible _click_ and did not respond.

The clock let out a single chime, announcing the one minute mark. Sarah's grip tightened still further. They watched as Toby sprinted up a staircase and onto the second floor. It was the wrong staircase but the right hall. His head tilted to the side, listening.

Jareth pressed his lips to her temple. The Labyrinth sang out the seconds to him though he blocked the message to her ears. It would not help her.

Toby ran.

 _Thirty seconds._

"Jareth…" she moaned.

The door to the children's chamber was close now. Twenty feet. Ten.

 _Fifteen seconds._

Jareth's heart thrummed, blood pulsing through his ears. Sarah was still though her body seemed to vibrate with tension.

Toby's hand was outstretched, inches from the door.

 _Ten._

Sarah let out a dry-sounding sob, "He did it, he—"

He tripped.

Something on the floor had snagged at his sock, and Toby was suddenly falling, his fingertips barely brushing against the wood door.

Jareth tightened his grip on the crystal until it felt as though it should shatter beneath his fingers.

 _One._

"No!" Sarah cried. "No, Jare—"

Her shout was drowned by the gong of the great bell. The Labyrinth relaxed, spreading out into its peaceful shape. The image of Toby, still suspended in the crystal orb, rose to shaking legs, tears streaming down his face.

And then Sarah was gone.

###

Sarah flew down to him, shifting from her human to owl to human form so swift that she nearly fell to her knees when she came to rest by Toby's side. Blinded by tears, she crushed him to her. His body shook as hers did, but though his mouth worked against her shoulder, she could not hear his voice over the reverberation of the great bell.

She felt Jareth's presence behind her but made no move toward him as the last echo of the bell died away.

"I have to try again! You have to let me try again!" Toby wailed.

She tightened her grip on him and tried to speak, but her throat felt swollen shut. She could only shake her head.

Toby let out a strangled sound and pushed away from her. His eyes, red-rimmed and swollen, looked between Sarah and the figure that stood behind her. "You!" He shouted. "You're a monster. Give them back!"

Sarah tried to stop him, but Toby shook her hand off as he lunged at Jareth, fist swinging.

And Jareth just stood there.

Toby landed a blow straight to the jaw, and then several more along Jareth's torso. The Goblin King did not blink, or rock back, and soon Toby's blows lost power and he sank once more to his knees.

Sarah stared at her husband, at her bond mate, and tried to reach him through their connection. He had closed it down, his mental walls as strong as steel, and suddenly Sarah felt her own rage rising within.

"We could have stopped this," she said, her voice low and dangerously calm. "There had to have been a way."

His eyes tracked from the prone teenager on the floor to her face. There was no expression there, and his gaze was cool, distant. It chilled her to see it. "You know that we did all we could."

"This wasn't his fault!" Sarah swept her arm toward Toby, taking a step toward her bond-mate. "You know this wasn't his fault! He was manipulated into this by—"

"That's enough."

The voice rang out like a clarion call, silencing even Toby's dry sobs. Everyone turned toward the sound.

Queen Titania and a retinue of High Fae crowded the corridor. Her purple and green eyes blazing, the queen advanced on the Fae monarchs and the cowering human. Sarah narrowed her eyes and slid in front of Toby, shielding him with her body.

Sarah knew that if it came down to an actual fight, the High Queen would knock her ass flat, but that did not matter. What mattered was protecting Toby _at all costs._ "Your highness—"

"Enough," Titania reiterated. She stopped close enough that her cloth-of-gold skirts brushed against Sarah's boots. "I will not have you turning on each other. Not now."

Sarah and Titania stared at one another for a long moment before Jareth stepped up beside his bonded pair. "My liege," he said, bowing shallowly from the waist. "Please forgive us, for we did not have word of your arrival."

"I have been deep in counsel, Goblin King, and did not have the time to notify you." Titania lifted her chin. "May I introduce you to Her Majesty, High Queen Mab of the Nightlands?"

Sarah stiffened. _What the hell is going on?_ While it was not open, war had been waging between the Court of Summer and the Court of Night for the last few years, ever since the birth of Ùisdean, her son.

 _Words have power,_ Sarah thought. It was tinged with bitterness and regret. If she had just asked for the Court of Summer to be made whole again, they could have escaped all of this ugly business. Instead…

The woman who stepped forward was devastatingly beautiful, but in everywhere Titania was light and warmth, this creature was the opposite. It was like seeing Titania's shade.

Mab was just as tall as the other High Queen, taller even than Jareth. She had sharp cheekbones, a long neck, and inky black hair loose and flowing past her waist. A jeweled net of Onyx and tarnished silver adorned the crown of her head, and a black fire opal the size of a hen's egg rested on a thick chain at her paper-white throat. Her eyes were duo-colored black and a gray as pale as to be almost white. The only color she wore beside black was the glossy deep red paint on her lips, which made it look as though she had recently dined on something still fresh enough to bleed.

Jareth bowed again, not so low as to Titania, and nudged at Sarah with his thoughts. With a grimace, she dipped down into a curtsey, first to Titania, and then to Mab. She swallowed the fear and hatred as best she could before speaking.

"Your majesties. What brings you to our humble home?"

Titania ignored him and turned her head toward Mab. "We are at an agreement?"

"Yes," Mab said, her voice low, silken, and dripping with amusement. "We are."

"Very well," Titania said and raised her hand.

Sarah felt the spell settle over them like a finely woven fisherman's net. She found herself glued to the spot, unable to move except to breathe. Mab stepped lightly around the frozen tableau and pushed through the heavy wooden doors to the twins' chamber.

Titania regarded Sarah and Jareth, "I will explain everything momentarily."

When Mab returned, she was trailing Vanessa and Taylor on either hand. The twins were remarkably docile, their wide eyes vacant and unseeing.

Sarah struggled against the spellbinding, but Titania had been learned in magic for thousands of years compared to Sarah's one. There was no contest.

Through her bond, she could feel Jareth trying to reassure her. She screamed back at him, and he withdrew, a fleeting sensation of hurt coursing through her as though she had burned him with her thoughts.

Mab and Titania regarded each other for a long moment before, in the same instant, they gave the barest of nods to one another. Without any more words spoken, Mab disappeared, the mortal children with her.

The High Queen turned away from the Goblin monarchs and addressed her ladies' maids. "Go home. I will return shortly."

The three High Fae curtseyed low. Kabira did not look at her son as she followed the other two ladies from the hallway. Titania waited until, with a small sigh, she lifted her hand once more toward Sarah, Jareth, and Toby.

As soon as the spell lifted, Sarah surged forward, slapping away Jareth's hand as he tried to restrain her. "What the hell did you just do? You promised us that you would take care of them, that we could visit—that _Toby_ could visit! We're at _war_ with them."

Titania nodded and stood fast against Sarah's onslaught.

 _For once, could these Fae just show one damn emotion? How can she be so fucking calm?_

"My dear," the High Queen said, her voice gentle. "With that one concession, I have assured that our war comes to an end."

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 **A/N:**

Note: Ùisdean is pronounced _oo-shi-gin_. I know it's odd, but I loved the meaning. Fit well. But, the pronunciation is one reason why you'll see the Goblin Prince referred to as 'Dean' most often.

Okay, from here on out I'm not going to say "you should expect a chapter in X amount of time." For one, I'm terrible at keeping that promise (as you know), and for two, it makes me feel like crap.

But again, if you're getting antsy go ahead and message me if it's been a while and you need a fix. It'll rouse me from my procrastination stupor and I might actually get to work.

Thank you to everyone who has commented on the story thus far. I really appreciate you taking the time to drop a note and let me know what you think.

(Also, a **big thank you** to the new readers who have gone through 'The Return' and left a comment there. It makes me all mushy to see that story get a little love too.)

Also, if anyone out there hasn't noticed this already-there's been a HUGE surge of Labrinth/Jareth artwork on DeviantArt after the _thing-that-I-will-not-mention-because-it-still-f*cking-sucks_ . It's been an inspiration, but as I've said I still prefer to think of our favorite duo alive and well.

*clears throat*

Anyway, there's some good stuff out there. Check out the Labyrinth Club on DA and you'll find a LOT of tribute pieces. It can be a worthwhile distraction.

Thank you for reading this newest chapter and, as always, please review if you can spare a moment (you can).

Love you lovelies.

xoxo,

~CS


	4. We Fight

**A/N:** Goodness, it _has_ been a while. I'm alive, folks, with an extra-long chapter to make up for the long absence. More below. Enjoy!

 **P.S.:** I did make a small change to the number of years Sarah and Jareth have been together so that their kiddo could do more than gurgle and squeal at things. It's been more like four years instead of one.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth or any of its characters. I do not profit from this story in any way.

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 **Chapter Four**

 **'We Fight'**

Sarah stood gripping the stone ledge of the balcony, staring sightlessly upon the vast, moonlit landscape of the goblin kingdom. Below her, orange and yellow lights moved and extinguished as the many citizens went about their business and settled down for the evening.

The balcony was new. She had reached out through her link to the Labyrinth and shown it what she wanted. The moment she stepped beyond the window sill in the royal suite, the stone had flowed beneath her feet like water. It was a large half-circle, with a waist-high railing carved in a Gothic style which suited her particular mood.

The wind picked up, and Sarah squinted as hair streamed into her face. With a sigh, she ran both hands over her head and called to one of the little magic's she knew. Within the span of a heartbeat her hair twisted into a long plait that fell to her hips, the flyaway strands secure now beneath metal pins.

"You're getting much better at that."

Sarah crossed her arms over her stomach. "Go away."

"Love—"

"Go away, Jareth," she repeated, grinding the words out between her teeth. "I'm serious."

She felt his movement before his touch—a feather light caress of his fingers along the base of her spine. Goose flesh rose from the point of contact to spread across her back and down her arms. She closed her eyes and clutched herself still tighter.

"What are we going to do?" She whispered. "Toby is… and the cousins? They must be terrified. I can't believe Titania would do this to us."

Her brother, frightened but exhausted, was now stretched out on a summoned bed in the royal bedchamber, fast asleep. He had begged not to be away from her, and she had acquiesced, but he would have to go home soon.

 _Where he's going to have to explain what happened. What is Judith going to say? Or Jasmine and Gary? Their children will have gone missing. They'll never find them_.

Jareth's palm pressed against the small of her back and he moved in closer, warming her with the heat of his body. "The first thing to do is to stop pushing me away," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "I know that you're worried, love. So am I. What happened tonight has far-reaching consequences."

Sarah closed her eyes when his other hand cupped her cheek. She leaned into the touch. "I'm sorry. I suppose its habit. I thought you the villain all those years ago, and perhaps a part of me still does."

"To use one of your oh-so-subtle turns of phrase, my darling— _cut that shit out_."

She grinned and opened her eyes, turning her face up to his. In the dark, his hair seemed to catch and hold the starlight. Ùisdean had that same hair. Gossamer thin and like silk to the touch. "We have to get our son back. I don't trust her to keep him safe anymore."

Jareth nodded and threaded his fingers through her braid. The metal pins pinged as they hit the stone floor and rolled away into the shadows. _What's the use of expending the magic to put it up if he's just going to pop it loose again?_ She mused, but her inner thoughts were then cut off by the feel of his lips against hers.

Sarah sighed into the kiss. It was quick, sweet, and just what she needed. She buried her head in his chest, and he clasped her close.

He was right. She was acting just as their enemies wanted her to—pushing away those who were closest to her. Sarah would be lying to herself if she said she was not frightened. Not ashamed. She was.

"What are we going to do?" She asked again, her voice muffled against his soft shirt.

He cupped both sides of her face and smoothed her hair away, turning her head up so that she looked at him. His eyes danced as he searched her face. And then he gave her a thin, sharp smile. "We're going to fight."

####

Toby rose out of sleep in waves, carried into wakefulness by quiet voices. He recognized Sarah's first, and then—

"Uncle Toby! Uncle Toby!"

The air left him in a sudden _whoosh_ when Dean landed square on his diaphragm. His eyes shot open as the small bundle of blonde-haired, blue-eyed nephew wiggled on his chest, squeezing him tight and laughing.

"Sorry about that," Sarah said, coming into view and smiling down at the scene. "I barely had time to tell him that you were here before he was running at you. I would have asked him to wake you gently, but—"

"I was in a palace with Grandma K!" Dean exclaimed, bouncing up onto his arms and grinning at Toby. His words slurred with excitement and his young age, but even so, he spoke well. "With lots of gold and jewels and pretty people."

Toby felt the edges of his mouth turn up in spite of himself. At the edge of his mind loomed the events of yesterday, gathering dark like thunderclouds. He shoved it back and sat up in the little bed his sister had conjured for him last night. "Is that right? A palace? That's awesome."

Dean tilted his head to the side, and Toby noticed that he, too, looked different here. His hair was an ethereal golden-silver, and one of his eyes—well, one of them was the same blue Toby had seen before, but the other seemed to… change. Right now, as he stared, it was a dark amber. Earlier it had seemed to be a soft gray.

"Mama says you know we're magic now, so I don't have to lie. I don't like to lie. It's bad."

"Not lies, sweetheart, only half-truths. It's different in the world above. They wouldn't understand."

Dean turned to his mother, still planted square on Toby's stomach. "Can I tell grandma and grandpa?"

Sarah sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed the long, soft hair back from her son's forehead. "No, darling. Not yet. Maybe one day."

Dean frowned for a quick, fleeting moment before turning his head back to Toby and grinning wide. "Will you play with me?"

Toby opened his mouth, and then stared more at his little nephew. By all rights, he should not be talking so much or so well. Now that he thought about it, Dean was bigger, and heavier, than he should have been.

Sarah, perhaps noticing the look on her brother's face, placed a gentle hand on his and then leaned in to stage whisper to her son. "Let your uncle wake up a bit first. Why don't you go to the kitchen and see what Azra has for you today? I heard he was going to make a special Huckleberry pastry just for you."

And just like that, the weight on Toby's chest disappeared. Dean shot across the room as fast as his short legs would carry him, giggling the whole way. As he went, he shouted, "Pastries! Pastries for me!"

Sarah let out a soft laugh and squeezed Toby's hand. "You're wondering why he's so much older, aren't you?"

Toby pulled his hand away and swung his legs out of the bed so that he was sitting next to his sister. "Yeah. Is it… is it that time is different here?"

She gave him an appraising look, a smile still pulling at the edge of her mouth. "Yes. Very good, Toby."

"So when you and—" he choked on the words _your husband_. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he soldiered on. "When you all came to visit for Thanksgiving, you had to… I don't know, glamor him or something?"

"Not really," Sarah crossed her legs and leaned back on her palms, her gaze distant. "That was about four months ago in the Aboveground. I could still pass him off as big for his age at the time."

"How old is he really?"

"About three and a half." Her smile was soft and sad. "Time flies, no matter which realm I occupy. It wasn't so long ago that he was a little bundle in my arms."

"Does that mean that no one has noticed I'm gone? Is it going to be like a blink of the eye when I get back?"

"Not necessarily." Sarah stood and brushed at her tunic. "It's difficult to explain. The best way I can think of is to say that the Underground moves at its own pace. Sometimes I think that this place, this world, is like a living creature all its own, with different moods. Sometimes, according to the histories I've read, people have experienced a day here and gone above to find a century has gone by. Others will spend centuries here with only a few hours difference above. Part of me thinks it has to do with the person, or the particular realm you spend your days in. I'm not sure and, honestly, the Fae don't seem that interested in figuring it out."

She turned to him, flashing a wide grin. "This must be boring to you, mustn't it? But I find it fascinating. I always loved my coursework back in our world, and now there's all this new history to learn. History, physics, science… it's all here, hidden under the umbrella of magic."

Tony pulled his legs up so that his chin could rest on his knees. "It's not boring. I don't think I like it as much as you, but… but I can see why you do. I just think it's weird." He chewed on the inside of his cheek, then added in a softer tone. "And scary."

Sarah rubbed his back, "I understand. I—I wanted to tell you something, but I'm afraid that you've been through so much in so little time that it'll just add to your burdens."

He straightened, throwing his legs down again as he half-turned toward her. "I'm sick of secrets," he spat. "Really. I'm fifteen. I'm learning to drive, I've got on the honor roll even though I've been spending all my free time trying to figure out if your husband was some kind of freak fairy—which he _is_ —"

"Stop that," Sarah snapped, mirroring his posture on the camp bed. "Stop it right now. I'm tired of you putting down Jareth. It's not right, and it's not fair to him. You barely even know him."

"I know that you live here and that you accept _this_ —" he motioned around the room, "As being okay. Scary bugs, goblins, stinking bogs, and a maze that changes? Magic? You were always on about that stuff growing up, but then you grew up, and I _liked_ that, I," he stopped, his throat thick with emotion. His words wavered and cracked despite his best efforts. "I missed you. When you were living above you were always there for me. Even when you packed up and moved to California, you were always just a phone call away. Now I can't get you on the telephone because you said you were _traveling_ , when you've really been here the whole time. And he did that. He took you away. You're my big sister, and he took you away from me."

"Oh, Toby," she sighed, looking down at her hands. She stared for a moment, her breathing rapid, but slowing as she collected herself. She took a deep breath, let it out, and looked at him again. Once more, it struck him how odd her eyes looked now, with one such a piercing pale blue and the other the same Irish-green as before.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice soft. "I truly am. I understand where you're coming from, but please know that it wasn't just Jareth. I made the choice to stay here, to love him and rule with him. I chose to be by his side and live in this world. And at the time, when I made that decision, I did think of you and what you might have to go through but—honestly, I was just so happy to be here because I had _finally_ found the place where I belonged."

Sarah reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "And you're right. The time for secrets is long past. You've discovered the Underground, and apparently, our memory spells won't work on you—not that I'd try again," she added hastily at his look. "For better or worse, you'll know about this place, and about the true nature of my marriage from now on. But there's something else you need to know, something that I must tell you before we speak of anything else. And I want you to know that it doesn't really change anything. You're still my brother, okay? You'll always be my brother, and I'll always love you."

####

Jareth conjured a handkerchief and wiped at the sugared fruit filling which coated Ùisdean's mouth, chin, and hands. "Honestly, did you bathe in the stuff?"

Ùisdean grinned wide, showing off rows of small baby teeth, and reached up to tug on his father's hair. "Pastries were tasty. I missed Azra. He cooks good."

"Well. He cooks well." Jareth smiled back and finished his ministrations before turning the cloth on himself, wiping at the stain on his jacket from where Ùisdean had collided with him earlier. His son had been gone from the goblin kingdom for almost six months, and though he and Sarah had visited the high court often within that time, it was better to have him here. His son, the high prince of the goblin kingdom, was meant to be here.

 _And here is safer than with Titania, even if we must leave soon._ He knew the thought to be treasonous, but he could not help it. Titania had lied. That, in itself, carried a heavy penalty amongst the Fae. But Jareth and Sarah had no higher authority to turn to. Oberon would be little help. He was, or had been, in the field with the Fae troops. Even if he did hear their plea, Oberon was not the real power at the high court. That burden had always rested on Titania's slender neck.

"Daddy," Ùisdean whispered, "Did you know Uncle Toby is here? He is. He's in your room."

"Yes, so he is," Jareth ruffled his boy's soft hair and lifted him into his arms. "Do you want to go and say hello?"

Ùisdean's arms went around his neck, and he snuggled in, pressing his little face under Jareth's chin. "I already did, but he was sleepy. Mommy said not to be so loud, but I couldn't help it."

"Were you excited?"

"Very excited." Ùisdean pulled back enough to grin up at his father's face. "Uncle Toby has never been here before, has he? I wish he could stay. We could play in the garden, and I could teach him magic."

"I'm sure you'd be a very good teacher," Jareth said, altering his grip so that Ùisdean was balanced along one side. "But I don't think Toby would be very good at magic."

His son's little hands played with the lacings on his shirt, pulling them tight and then letting them drop back down. A small frown played along his mouth. "Is it because he's human?"

"Yes, little prince. Humans can't do magic as we can."

"Why not?"

Jareth struggled with the words for a moment. He barely remembered his own childhood, and what he could recall was steeped in bitter loneliness. His own mother had never held him like this, or answered his questions, at least not to the best of his memory. Explaining things in a way the little boy would understand was difficult, especially now that Ùisdean spoke so often and had so many questions.

"Humans have a kind of magic," Jareth said, the words slow and deliberate. He kept his gaze locked with his sons, assuring that the boys' attention was focused. "But it is… small. Quiet. We Fae have large, loud magic. It is different."

Ùisdean nodded, "Okay."

"There you are."

Jareth turned with his precious cargo still clutched to his side and smiled as Sarah walked into the dining hall with Toby in her wake. The teenager's eyes were a little wide, but there was a set to his face that seemed all too familiar. Jareth's smile faded.

Toby moved straight past his sister to stand before Jareth. He looked down as Ùisdean reached for his uncle. Toby lifted his arm so that his nephew's hand could curl around his own. "I'm going with you."

Jareth took a breath, glanced at Sarah, who nodded once, and then back at her brother. "It'll be dangerous. More dangerous than anything you've done before. You should go home, where you'll be safe."

Toby's chin lifted. "I'm going."

####

Sarah closed the door on Ùisdean's room with a soft click before turning around to face the two men in her life.

 _If Toby is coming with us, I cannot think of him as a boy anymore, as hard as that might be._

"Come on, we have to talk." She led the two of them back into the royal chambers, which still held the strewn mess of Toby and Ùisdean's play. Her little monster had been excited and difficult to put to sleep, too wound up from coming home and seeing his uncle. But once he had stopped fighting her and laid his head on his pillow, his breathing had evened and he had dropped right off into sleep.

Jareth strode into the center of the room and motioned at the wooden and metal toys, which righted themselves and flew to their respective areas. Toby whistled low. "You're like Mary Poppins with that shit."

"Toby," Sarah chided. "What would Judith think if she heard you talk like that?"

He shrugged, "She knows. She does it too."

She raised an eyebrow, "She does? She never did when I was in the house."

He shrugged again. "I think that she was always trying to be perfect around you, you know? Because you hero-worshipped your real mom big time." He frowned, "Well, who you thought was your real mom, I guess."

He sank down onto one of the plush chairs by the fireplace. The stone hearth was cold now since it was the beginning of summer, and the windows were open to let in the sweet-scented breeze. Sarah made a motion with her hand, put a little power behind it, and lit the candles throughout the room so that it filled with a warm yellow glow.

Toby watched her movements and stared as the room brightened. "That's pretty cool, sis."

"Thanks. I've been practicing." Sarah joined her brother and, after a moment so did Jareth. Her husband sat beside her on the loveseat, with Toby across from them, and immediately her fingers twined in his. "So, let's talk about what we have to do."

"It's very dangerous," Jareth said, for possibly the hundredth time that day.

Toby rolled his eyes. "Duh."

"Toby," Sarah warned, "Cut it out."

"What? It's not like I don't know, and he's being a—"

"I'm going to stop you there," she said, raising her free hand palm-out. "The first thing we need to get straight, right here and right now, is that you two have to get along. If you need to yell it out now, or go outside and throw a few punches, fine. Otherwise, we're a team. Where we're going, we have to be, or we're as good as dead. So I won't put up with this squabbling nonsense."

They spoke at the same time.

"Agreed."

"Fine."

They stared at each other, appraising, and then Toby lifted an accusing finger. "You stole me away when I was a baby."

Jareth smiled and leaned back. Sarah sighed and did the same. _Here we go._

"Your sister wished you away."

"Yeah, but you took me. You've taken lots of kids, haven't you?"

"Yes, and most of them were from families who could not care for them any longer. They were hungry, abused, and forgotten. They have found better and happier lives here in the Underground."

"Most, but not all?"

"Not all."

"And you're not sorry about that? Do you feel any kind of, I don't know, remorse? Guilt? Or are you incapable?"

Jareth leaned forward, one hand still clasped around Sarah's. Their link was open, and she could feel his amusement. She pushed back with a short message, _be patient, he's just a boy._ Her husband flicked his gaze toward her and gave an almost imperceptible nod before his attention once again fell on Toby. "I do, for some, but there are very few families who have genuine concern over those who have been wished away. You, for instance, and your sister. That was part of the reason I was drawn to her in the first place. She had a driving need to reclaim you, more so than any other runner before or since. Until you."

Toby chewed on his lip and then mirrored Jareth, leaning forward so that his forearms rested on his knees. "I read that the Fae cannot lie."

"We can lie, but it is a crime punishable by death or imprisonment if caught and besides, it is painful to the body when the words are uttered."

"So I wouldn't know if you lied to me right now?"

"You'd know." Jareth lifted the hand that clasped Sarah's. "Did your sister explain to you what the bond is?"

"Yeah."

"Your sister will know if I lie. She will share my pain and, unlike me, she has not had the centuries of training to school one's face and make it into an impenetrable mask. You can see it if she hurts."

Sarah let out a short laugh, "Go ahead and say it, my love, I'm an open book."

He squeezed her hand and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, "And I would not have it any other way."

Through their bond and all their long talks over the years, Sarah knew what he meant. Jareth was hardened by his time in the Underground and at court. She was not. In a world filled with schemers and liars, she was a breath of fresh air and had continued to be even after she stayed. When they were alone, together or with Ùisdean, he let down his defenses, and she could see the smiling, carelessly optimistic man he was deep inside, but that man was invisible now.

Jareth turned his attention back to Toby. "What do you want to know?"

Her brother stood and walked to the dark fireplace. He stared into it, his back to them and his hands sunk deep into the pockets of his jeans. When he turned, his eyes were narrowed. "Do you love her?"

"Yes. Absolutely."

"Did you make her love you?"

Jareth smiled, "Has anyone successfully made your sister do anything?" Sarah pinched the web between his thumb and forefinger and he grinned wider. "No, I did not make her love me. She gave her love willingly."

"Are you keeping her here by force?"

"No. Sarah is here of her own free will."

"Did you make her lie to me?"

Sarah's chest tightened, and the bond surged as Jareth wrapped her in the warmth of his thoughts and love for her. "No," Jareth said, his voice soft. "I did not."

"I didn't want to lie to you," Sarah said, her voice just as quiet. "You know I didn't. But what could I have said? You would have thought I'd gone insane."

Toby shook his head and pulled his hands from his pockets to run through his hair. "No," he said with a sigh. "Or maybe. I don't know." He went back to his chair and sank down with a long, dramatic exhalation. "Alright. I guess we're cool."

Jareth tilted his head. "Cool?"

"Yeah, man. We're cool. Good. Whatever. I… I kind of wish you were the bad guy from the story, but I guess you're not really, are you? It'd be simpler if you were."

Jareth smiled, showing the sharp teeth at the edges of his mouth. "Oh, I wouldn't say that."

Sarah elbowed him, "Jareth, stop it. You're not the villain." She looked to Toby, "Sorry. My husband has a very sick sense of humor."

He gave her a wink and leered at her. "Sick? I thought I was dirty."

Toby slapped a hand over his face. "Ew."

Sarah laughed and leaned against his side. "Don't goad him. He just started to accept you."

Jareth wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He pressed his face against her hair and purred into her ear, "What fun is that?"

She could not help but shiver, her hand falling to grip his knee. "Stop it."

"Alright," Toby said, a little louder than was necessary. "So, we're going after Taylor and Vanessa, yeah? How are we going to do it? Are we taking the goblins with us? Not the weird little ones, but the big scary ones. Those guys look like serious business."

Sarah shook her head, still nestled against Jareth's chest. "No. We need the soldier's to stay and guard Ùisdean and to keep watch over the kingdom while we're gone. Anyway, we can't just go marching in with an army. Titania said that the war was over."

"But if we're going in there to steal them back, isn't that like an act of war or treason or something?"

"Only if we get caught," Jareth said. "What we have to be is smart, and quick, and quiet. If we can get in there, extract the twins, and get out without being seen or identified, then it will look like the children disappeared. It can happen if their caretakers aren't too careful. Mortals run into all sorts of trouble in the Underground."

"That's reassuring," Toby said, his tone dry and his face bland. "Have you forgotten who you're talking to?"

Sarah smiled, "And that's why we're waiting until moonrise, baby bro."

He lifted his eyebrows, "What happens at moonrise?"

Jareth motioned out the window, where the sky was just gaining its full dark, the stars coming out like diamonds on a black velvet cloth. " _Magic_."

####

Far away from the Goblin Kingdom, in the land of eternal night, the seer looked up at a heaven strewn with stars. She, like many of her line, could read the pairings there, and the motions that lead to events which could weave themselves into catastrophe or salvation.

Mab stood with the human children on either side, their small hands clasped in her own. They rarely left her presence except to sleep or eat. They were silent now. Sometimes, when Mab released her hold over their minds, they would cry and call out for their mother and father. The queen of the Nightlands enjoyed their pain and drank it like cool water. When it happened, the seer could feel their anguish like a rusted knife in her gut, but now all was still and quiet.

She should not revel in the stillness, it was against everything her mother and the Order had taught her over the years. Her place was in interpreting the signs, and using her power to help aid the world and alleviate suffering.

But here she was, standing in the court of darkness and doing Its bidding.

The hooded figure stood face to face with her. The seer continued her search of the heavens and jumped as a cold hand reached out and touched her shoulder. The hooded creature felt like ice and fire all at once, bleeding down into her guts and infecting her mind. Keeping her here. "What do you see?" It hissed.

The seer swallowed and looked into the shadowed cowl. She could not see anything. The darkness was too thick. "They're coming for the children. The rulers of the goblin kingdom, and one other who I cannot see. They will take back what is theirs."

"They will try," Mab said, her voice calm despite the venom that seemed to drip from each syllable. "And they will fail."

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 **A/N:** Wow, time does fly! I apologize for the very long break in between updates. I hope ya'll will forgive me.

I have had some changes in my life, the largest amongst them being that I am returning to college in a few weeks. It's time to finally finish that degree! I'm scared as hell, especially since I'll be a good decade older than most of my classmates and it's been more than four years since I last set foot in a classroom, but I'm dead-set on doing it... even if I'm terrified. Wish me luck!

Thank you to everyone who has followed, commented, or reviewed. You guys are awesome. And again, sorry for any glaring typos or issues. First draft nonsense.

I've enjoyed returning to this story, especially as my main book is giving me fits at the moment. I hope it can _finally_ come together and be released this month. Fingers crossed!

I'm off to bed. I hope everyone here in the states has a fantastic Fourth of July weekend, and to all of my international readers, well... I hope you have a lovely weekend! Cheers, darlings. xoxo

Note: Ùisdean is pronounced _oo-shi-gin_.


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